Margaret E. O’Kane is the founding President of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and one of the nation’s leading advocates for improving health care quality through measurement, reporting, and accountability. With her leadership, NCQA has been widely recognized as a leader in the health care quality field; in 2005, NCQA received awards from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Pharmacists’ Association.

During her career, Ms. O’Kane has received numerous awards and recognitions. She was named Health Person of the Year in 1996 by the journal Medicine & Health. In 1999, she was elected as a member of the Institute of Medicine. The following year, Ms. O’Kane received the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Champion of Prevention award, the agency’s highest honor.